Dreamers
by TheTruthAboutThe WallFlower
Summary: Because Chihaya really missed him, and she's finally figured out why. /one-shot collection
1. Chapter 1

Okay so this is loosely based off of the third years last national tournament, but side note I have recently become obsessed with Chihayafuru and, while I knew I shouldn't have because it's not the ship that's going well (I guess?), cuz unrequited love, and I knew it wouldn't, I am absolutely obsessed with TaichiXChihaya. I ache for them to get together, I am going to be devastated if they don't. I didn't think I would so vehemently crave this shipping and there isn't even lots of fan fiction on Chihayafuru for me to drown my maybe hopefully not sorrows in. Anyway I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer- I don't own Chihayafuru, otherwise you know what ship would be 1000% canon

! #$

Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump.

The smell of sweat permeated the air. Chihaya's feet scraped against the tatami mats, but it was the weight of Taichi's headband snug against her forehead, combined with her heartbeat drowning out all her senses, yet enhancing them all at once, that made Chihaya still.

Taichi. Taichi was here.

Their eyes connected, his framed by such long, long lashes, while all of a sudden Chiyaha could only find hers rimmed with tears. The image of Taichi, so sorely missed, blurred before her eyes, and she set her mouth in determination, tightening her ( _his_ ) headband even tighter.

As the reader began again, Chiyaha blinked, exhaling, even as her insides filled with a burst of strength and pure, unadulterated joy. Taichi was _here._

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

"One- Two wins for Mizusawa!"

 _Thump. Thump._

" _Three_ wins for Mizusawa!"

 _Thump._

"Four wins!"

 _Ba-thump._

"…Five wins for Mizusawa!"

A rush of wind filled Chihaya's ears, the beating of her heart loud even as she collapsed. She could hear them, her teammates, their joy at her familiar antics, the encompassing silence of everything else.

Before long, she was jumping to her feet, her heart uncontrollable and just, so, so _pulsating._ And then all she could see was Taichi, Taichi… Taichi. His chest. The soft movements of his own heart beat. She spoke, unaware of even her words, just his _(her)_ headband wrapped around his neck and clung to by her fingers, linking them together as she talked.

And then it was the encompassing of all her teammates surrounding them, pressure on all sides, but the only pressure that mattered was her mushed up against his chest and the feel of his palm scalding her shoulder blade. All that mattered was the scent of sweat and the sick sense of relief making her knees go weak.

Soon enough, the pressure faded, and she was being pulled away for the ceremony. Her eyes glanced up, catching on Taichi's wide eyes _("Do you think I'm made of stone?")._ Her heart thumped.

It was only later, when Chiyaha was hurriedly rushing to place footwear on, her skirt on backwards and her socks bunched, that Chihaya even thought to snap out of her daze, and then all she was doing was rushing, rushing, rushing, she needed to get to Taichi, she _needed to get to-_

Chihaya glanced around hurriedly, her hair flying all around her. There! She had to run, he was almost gone- Chihaya reached her fingertips out, his silhouette just out of sight-

A hand gently touched the crook of her outreached elbow and Chihaya whirled around in shock, the sounds of everything around her suddenly coming into focus, from the whispers of all the onlookers to Arata's footsteps shuffling on the spot, to the whoosh of the outside doors closing.

Wait. Arata?

"Chihaya?" Arata's smile was kind _(I'm in love with you, Chihaya)_ and a box of some kind of confectionary was stretched out to her. On it was Taichi's name. Chihaya finally felt her heart stop, her teammates shoes squelching on the floor as she sank to her knees.

She wiped at her face aggressively. Taichi… He was really here. It was the first time that day, despite his distinct, boyish scent covering her in an embrace just earlier, that she felt it wasn't a dream.

! #$

 _"_ _Taichi!"_

Taichi froze, the sound of the one persons voice he would never forget. Briefly, he debated whether or not he should run. After all, Chihaya had caught him watching over her as she rested within his old club room, and he really was definitely not ready to face her _("Sorry")._

His chest burned at the thought of her, but his shoulder burned more, the feel of Chihaya's palm resting on his back like an inferno. "T-taichi," she stuttered. Taichi tilted his head up to the sky, taking a deep breath inwards.

He turned, yet her hand stayed up, instead coming to rest against his chest comfortably. Intimately. He hid his eyes behind his hair, unwillingly to let her see the look in his eye or the twitch in his hand that wrestled with ripping her away from him.

"Taichi…" This time, there was an achingly familiar texture to her voice _("No! Please, don't leave!")_ and Taichi snapped his head up to come face to face with Chihaya's tears streaming down her face. Her hair, most likely disheveled from her fast movements, stuck to the tears, begging to be brushed away.

"The cards were black."

His heart stopped, and his mouth went dry. No. No no no _no_. This couldn't be happening, she loved karuta, he knew he was selfish but dammit _no,_ he _did not_ want to take away this important thing from her! Karuta was her life, it was her passion, no way could it be ruined by his stupid, stupid decision to fall in love with this clumsy idiot-

Chihaya's expression stopped his spiralling thoughts. "W-what?"

She was smiling, a quaky, unsure smile, yet beautiful nonetheless. "T-the cards were heavy and black," she hiccuped, "and I didn't know what to do. I just missed you so much.

"If you didn't show up, I don't know if I ever would have kept loving karuta again."

This time Taichi sucked in an audible breath. "Don't be ridiculous." he muttered stiffly, turning his head to the side to avoid the breathtaking look on her face. _You have no chance._

Suddenly, the hand that had been so carelessly caressed against his chest, almost like it was moulded to be there, slipped upwards, catching at his collarbone at the exact pace his heart skipped a beat, and coming to rest to curve around his jaw.

Taichi's eyes were wide, his hands stuck glued into his pockets lest he do something stupid like kiss her again _(the expression on her face had been an embodiment of his heartbreak)._

Chihaya sniffed, and Taichi realised the hand so tenderly linking their bodies was trembling. "I-it turns out one of the main things I love about karuta is you."

Everything was silent. Taichi felt the blood sluggishly moving throughout his body, urging him to do something, _anything._ Chihaya seemed to know what his shocked muscles were trying to tell him, and she drew her hand back down to his chest, leaving his cheek strangely cold, as she stepped into his space and tightened as closely pressured into his chest as she could.

"T-taichi," She was full out bawling now, tears soaking into his shirt as he stood frozen. "I-I'm so sorry!"

Finally, his hands decided to unsheathe themselves from his pockets and tentatively hover near her, eventually resting on her lower back and the space between her shoulder blades. "Hey, hey," he shushed softly, because now she was blubbering incomprehensibly. He continued in this quest before falling silent. "Beauty in vain, huh?"

Chihaya hiccuped a laugh at his pathetic attempt at making her smile, and instead of hitting or kicking him like he'd hoped to cajole, she merely tightened her grip on his shirt and buried her head further into the crook of his neck, seemingly unaware of her lips brushing against his pulse point, or the way her hair tickled against his suddenly sensitive skin.

"I think I'm in love with you," she cried, and almost simultaneously both of their knees buckled, and the two of them crumbled to the floor as Chihaya clung to him, curling her legs over his lap and his loosely crossed legs.

Taichi stared distantly at the same door he remembered walking out of the last time he'd sat in this spot, his mind in a whirl. He glanced down at his hands resting- he blinked away tears. No, trembling. His hands were trembling, completely shaking, clutching at Chihaya's back, searching for this to be real.

Only the sound of Chihaya's snivelling appeared. Taichi's mouth went dry as he realised what this meant. "T-then why are you crying, stupid?" his voice cracked, sobbing a laugh as his tears dripped into Chihaya's silky hair that was pressed so obstinately against him.

"B-because!" With this admission, Chihaya indignantly raised her head up sharply, unintentionally cracking the crown of her head against his jaw. "Ow!"

The two clutched their respective site of pain, finally meeting eyes in a glare. "Idiot! Watch what you're doing!" Taichi scolded.

"B-but," Chihaya pouted, before her sulky expression turned into a tear rimmed smile, "But I love you."

Taichi's breath hitched and his cheeks spread into a blush, even as Chihaya pulled herself onto her knees and squirmed, playing with her fingers as she avoided his gaze and babbled on and on.

"And I know I really don't have any concept of romance or whate-"

Taichi snatched her fingers forward, pulling her back into an embrace as she kneeled between his outstretched legs, squeezed into his chest. He brought her fingers up to his lips and kissed them reverently. "I love your fingers." he whispered against her hair, near her ear. He repeated it a few more times.

Chihaya's grip tightened on his shirt and he heard a telltale sniffle again, just as he cozied closer to hide his own tears against her neck.

Finally. It wasn't a dream.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Hey guys, so this is probably going to just be a one-shot collection from now on

! #$

Chihaya stood, stone cold and fists loosely curled, as the harsh wind whipped her hair all around. Taichi stood what seemed one hundred kilometres away, his back turned and, unbeknownst to Chihaya, grip tight on his book bag.

He was walking away. Again.

Chihaya let out a growl of frustration, her fists balling as she stomped and shook her body, trying to quell the urge for the tears to fall and for her knees to buckle. She was shivering, her physical manifestation of her anger at her lack of understanding and her profound amount of hurt. She didn't understand why he was walking away from her again. What was it she had done wrong this time? Why couldn't she just _know_ these things?

It was only then, as Taichi disappeared around a corner, that Chihaya could bring herself to slouch against the nearest wall, bringing her knees up to her chest and cramming her arms between the space of her torso and her legs, disregarding the fact she was wearing a skirt. That would have also made Taichi mad.

But why? Chihaya didn't understand. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened earlier that day. It had been a nice day, actually. Chihaya curled a lock of her hair with her finger as she absentmindedly blushed. Taichi had even visited her during lunch to help her study, and he'd left with a tender parting kiss to her cheek. At the time it had made Chihaya go bright red, and Nishida had teased her about it the rest of the lesson.

But now… Chiyaha felt her eyes go downcast, their rustic tinge deepening as she ruminated over Taichi's sudden departure and stinging words.

 _("Because you've never even really loved me, have you?! You're just placating your guilt and pitying me. Stop being so selfish. Goddammit, what is wrong with you!?")_

She rested her head against her knees, her fine hair falling like curtains over either side of her face.

 _("Why are you so heartless, can't you see how cruel you are? You hurt everyone around you like you're some kind of walking, breathing, talking, stupid karuta playing monster. Can't you just see how useless and uncaring you can be?")_

Chihaya flinched, sucking in a quick breath as she wrapped her arms around her knees. Monster. Useless. Stupid, uncaring, cruel, _heartless._

But didn't he know she loved him?

Chihaya stifled a sob, trembling against her knees, before she abruptly stood up and raced to her school bag lying in the middle of the pathway, dashing at her tears as she stalked home.

Little did she know, just around the corner where Chihaya had stopped, Taichi was in much the same position, bitting down on his fist and crouched on the sidewalk, his bangs covering his eyes.

! #$

Later that same day, Chihaya lay sweating on her bed after having attempted to play her frustrations out on a game of karuta. She lay her arm over her face, attempting to even her breath out. She still couldn't get Taichi out of her mind. She wanted so badly to message him, to hug him and feel his arms wrap around her in a reassuring embrace.

She frowned. She knows it wouldn't be that easy. Despite the horrible words he had said to her, there was a reason behind them, even she wasn't dumb enough to bypass that. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out what that reason was.

That night, Chihaya picked at her food, finding her appetite gone. She couldn't stop thinking about the look on Taichi's face when he'd yelled at her. It made her heart squeeze and her chest ache. That was the last expression she ever wanted to see on him. The pain and hurt there was probably the same as that of her own from his barbed words immediately there after.

Chihaya made a resolve. By this time tomorrow, she'd have everything sorted out between them.

! #$

"Chihaya! C'mon!"

The aforementioned teenager blinked, breaking her spell of focus on the club room doors. She turned to focus her attention on Kana-chan, who was putting the chairs away. The girls were the only ones in the room, the others having vacated after their club meeting and having gone ahead at the insistence of Kana-chan.

All except one that is. Taichi had never shown up.

Chihaya heard an audible sigh from her small statured friend. "Chihaya, what's wrong?"

She frowned. "Tachi never showed to pick me up."

Kana-chan quirked an eyebrow at her in confusion. "Yeah, I know. Komano-kun said he couldn't make it at the start."

Chihaya blinked slowly. "O-oh." She'd forgotten. Her heart still sank nonetheless. He was still mad at her. She'd known it was doubtful, but she was hoping their argument might just blow over. But now he was definitely ignoring her.

Chihaya felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She looked up from her crouched position to find Kana-chan standing over her with a concerned look on her face. "What's really wrong Chihaya-chan?"

She stared up at her friend, emotions barreling into her at a rapid pace, her lack of ability to figure out what was wrong like a punch in the gut. Her lip started to tremble. "T-taichi," she choked out.

Kana-chan sent her a sympathetic look before kneeling down before her. Her worried appearance, combined with the comforting hand still resting on her shoulder, caused Chihaya to pause before she started blubbering, taking a moment to simply breath and compose herself.

"Taichi," she repeated, the sad undertone in her voice clear, "Taichi and I got into an argument yesterday," Chihaya bit her lip, "But I don't understand why. He seemed really upset."

Kana-chan frowned. "Well, what were you talking about before you started arguing?"

Chihaya leaned forward, a fevered look in her eyes, "That's what I don't get! I was just telling him about this technique Arata wanted to show me for karuta, and how Arata was really good with these things, so I was really impressed by him and how he's amazing and stuff!"

It was dead silent for a moment. The look on Kana-chan's face was dumbstruck, her eyebrow twitching sporadically. "Chihaya-chan…" she said, a placating tone that made Chihaya perk up as she recognised her friend might have the answers she was craving.

When she merely continued to stare at her with that same expression, Chihaya deflated. "What?"

Kana-chan stared at her in worry. "Do you really not… know?"

Chihaya's face pinched together, and her whole appearance seemed anxious and wounded. "No! I tried to ask what made him so mad, and then he just got even more upset and he just walked away!"

Kana-chan let out a sigh, hanging her head briefly. When she raised it again, her expression still worried, she spoke hesitantly. "Chihaya-chan, you can't just talk about Wataya-kun like that anymore, or it will make Mashima-kun feel like he's not the one you like."

Chihaya went wide eyed, the shock imminent on her face. " _Huh?!"_

Kana-chan nodded, a smile of sympathy emerging. "Yes, when you speak so reverently of him, it makes Mashima-kun feel insecure, and probably really jealous as well."

Chihaya was floored. "But… why? Taichi is Taichi!"

Her friend nodded, a patient smile still plastered to her face as she tried to make Chihaya understand. "Chihaya-chan, Taichi has always thought that you were in love with Wataya-kun. He's probably scared that you're only dating him because you felt guilty you hurt him."

Chihaya was frozen. Her body felt sluggish, yet the sounds around her blurred into hyper speed as suddenly everything came into focus. Every time she'd gushed about Arata. How excited she always was when she saw him. Taichi, oddly quiet beside her.

She stood up abruptly. "That _idiot!"_ Chihaya proclaimed, her eyes burning with fury and a soft sadness, understanding yet protesting against every undeniable fact that stated that was what Taichi had always thought.

She rushed out of the room, barely remembering to grab her stuff as Kana-chan lay rooted on her spot on the floor, serene as always. She whipped open the door, spinning hard to yell behind her "Thank you Kana-chan!"

Her friend merely nodded back, giving Chihaya the necessary response to charge off to her destination. Kana-chan merely sat there, letting out a small sigh of relief. Hopefully now everything would be okay.

! #$

Chihaya paced outside the door to the Mashima household, impatient, yet trying to figure out a way that would assure Taichi would even hear her out. Knowing her luck, he would just ignore her. She would have to corner-

"Ahh… hello?"

Chihaya jumped, clapping a hand over her mouth to prevent a sound from escaping her. Slowly, she shakily pivoted to face the owner of the voice who had spoken. There stood, not Taichi, but his father.

"A-ah, hi Mr Mashima… um, is Taichi home?"

Taichi's father smiled at her brightly. "Of course! Come on in!"

He held the door wide open for her, still smiling as she mumbled a harried 'excuse me'. Taichi's dad was a rare sight. Still as much the opposite of Mrs Pressure as the last time she'd seen him, of course.

Chihaya nodded to her self to psych herself up. Okay! She kicked her shoes off at the entrance, Mr Mashima closing the door behind her like a promise of no turning back. She began at a walk, trying to tiptoe up the stairs as stealthily as possible.

Once Taichi's bedroom door was in sight, that thought flew out the window.

Chihaya felt a piece of her crack, her face scrunching in wounded determination as she charged at a run to Taichi's bedroom, flinging open the door to find a surprised Taichi starting to rise from where he'd been laying on his bed.

"Chiha-"

She leaped on him, slamming the door behind her. He involuntarily went backwards, his head bouncing against his mattress harmlessly as she tackled him to the bed, on all fours, straddling him.

His expression went to confused annoyance, and he opened his mouth again to speak, but paused when he really looked at her. Her fists were clenching into his sheets and there were slight tremors running up and down her arms. Her hair, always so long and silky, tickled the bare skin it rested against as she bowed her head.

Her expression was pinched, with her eyes clenched shut to prevent tears leaking. "Taichi you idiot! Idiot, idiot, _idiot!_ Why didn't you just tell me?"

Taichi exhaled slowly, eyeing her carefully. "What are you talking about?"

The girl essentially pinning him to the bed barked out her reply, "Don't! Taichi… Just don't. Don't pretend you don't know exactly what I'm talking about." Here, she hesitated and her voice got quieter. "Why didn't you just tell me what you thought about me and Arata?"

Taichi stilled beneath her and Chihaya chanted a protest in her head as he turned his head to the side, tilting so his bangs covered his eyes. He reached a hand up to grasp her arm. Before he could do anything but touch her skin, she whipped one of her hands forward to grab his chin forcibly.

She pulled his chin so it faced her directly, feeling a muscle jump in his jaw. Chihaya leaned back on his body, using her other hand that no longer needed to hold her weight up to push his bangs up and stare fiercely into his eyes.

"I've. Never. Been. In. Love. With. Him." she grit out, boring into the boy's eyes beneath her with all her intensity.

Taichi's eyes glowed with similar passion, the muscle in his jaw prominently tensing under her hand. "I'm not an idiot Chihaya. You've always loved him, you were just too dense to see it."

Chihaya let out a growl of frustration, tightening her hold even further on his face, his hair tickling against her grip. "I _know_ what love is!" she cried out. "He is karuta to me. And I love karuta. But that's all he is! He is karuta."

Taichi had a look of pure pain and distaste left on his face, eyebrows scrunching and lips downturning. "Exac-"

Chihaya's tears interrupted him. They dripped from her face directly onto him. His cheeks, his neck, his chest. They silenced him abruptly.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

"He is karuta," Chihaya repeated weakly, her voice wavering. "But do you think karuta knows me? Do you think karuta knows how much I'm obsessed with Daddy Bear? Do you think karuta knows my favourite food? My laugh? H-how I cut my nails?

"Do you think karuta has frustrating bangs he always, _always_ hides behind? Do you think karuta always lends me his jacket even though I didn't listen to him when he said it was going to be cold? Or that karuta will wrestle with me for no reason other than to stop me being obnoxious? Or that karuta won't just _tell me_ what is _wrong-_ "

There was silence in the room, all except for the gentle sobs of Chihaya. "I love _you,_ you idiot! I always have!"

Chihaya semi collapsed then, lowering her torso to bang her head against Taichi's chest, with every thump repeating, "You, you, _you."_

A harsh inhalation sounded near Chihaya's ear, where she'd finally rested against his chest. Taichi snaked his arms up to encircle the girl on top of him, tightening them and resting a hand on the back of her head.

She squirmed, reaching to rest her head against the curve of his neck. Her tears spilled against the bare skin there, her lashes brushing delicately against him. "Sorry," he whispered, voice thick and achey.

Chihaya wrapped her arms around his neck, burrowing even further against him in response. In turn, he pressed his lips against her head, mouthing his apologies over and over into her silky hair as the hand covering the back of her head gently massaged into her scalp.

Chihaya's crying eventually lessened, and before long, she was asleep, still clinging tight to Taichi in her unconsciousness. He exhaled shakily, pressing one last kiss to the top of her head, lingering there. He shifted then, trying to slip out from Chihaya's grip. No doubt she would be embarrassed by how dominant and physically close she'd pressed herself once she woke up.

The guilt running through him was the only thing stopping himself from dwelling on it. He was sure he would at a later date. Nevertheless, Chihaya clung tight, making a noice of protest in her sleep. For once, her eyes were squeezed shut.

Taichi glanced down, at the very least wanting her to be comfortable, but the comforter was out of his reach with her glomped onto his body length. A soft knock surrounded at the door and Taichi froze, trying to gently separate Chihaya from him in renewed panic.

The door opened, Taichi's father standing there with a kind expression on his face. Taichi twitched tensely. His father smiled patiently, like he wasn't phased. "Ah… Taichi-kun, I think it's time your… friend… went home, yeah?"

Taichi's eye twitched. "Y-yep, okay."

His father nodded once, before turning around and exiting the room, leaving the door open. Taichi's head, tightly wound, snapped back against the bed. Dammit. His mother would be giving him an earful about this later.

He changed tactics, his fingers going to Chihaya's notorious ticklish spots in order to wake her up. She made a little moaning sound, wriggling against his body and Taichi immediately stopped, an incredulous expression on his face. What this girl did to him.

That was the moment Chihaya chose to burst awake, springing up to straddle his hips again and splaying her hands against his chest the exact moment his face was flushed. Slowly, as if she'd just woken up from a karuta tournament and was disoriented, Chihaya stilled and slowly examined his flushed appearance and where she was resting.

"Ahh!" she squealed, scrambling to get off of him. Taichi sat up to help her, merely making her slide further down, and in her increased hurry, she completely tumbled off his bed.

Chihaya looked up at him from his floor on her back, her face bright red. Wordlessly, the two got up and shuffled out of his room in petulant silence, both of them adjusting their clothes discretely. When they reached downstairs and bypassed Taichi's father, she have a cheery goodbye, and Taichi decided she could wait to hear about him walking in on them in their compromising position, his face turning red.

It was when they'd reached outside, Taichi with his hands firmly in his pockets and causally leaning against a pillar of his house, that he spoke. "Hey," he said quietly.

It was enough to make Chihaya, already at his mailbox, turn around with a smile. "Yeah?"

Taichi hid behind his bangs, his remorse making him unable to stare into her earnest eyes. "Earlier I said stuff that I knew would hurt you, not out of truth but because I wanted you to feel just as hurt as me. I'm sorry about that too." His voice quieted even more, " _Really_ sorry."

A hand touched his cheek and Taichi glanced up from the floor to Chihaya's forgiving gaze. She leaned forward and ever so slowly placed a soft kiss against his cheek, lingering there to whisper into his ear, "I love you."

Chihaya pulled away, Taichi's hand falling down her arm to catch at her fingers. They clasped gently before pulling away. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way too." Her gaze was sincere, and Taichi felt a loving smile pull at his cheeks.

"I'll meet you at the train station tomorrow morning," he called out as she walked away. Chihaya gave him a cheesy grin over her shoulder, smile promising.

Taichi let out a long held breath, feeling a weight leave his shoulders. This was an issue that had been itching at him for a very long time. And finally, finally, it was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

His hand flexed slightly, reaching for the six pack of drinks on the shelf. The joints connecting his fingers and wrist were taut, his forearms veins even more prominent as he lifted the beverages with one hand. His hand was big, enough to comfortably carry the drinks the way he'd picked them up, strong enough to not need to re-grip. They were tanned, matching the rest of his body, with callouses that scratched against-

"Oi."

Chihaya blinked out of her trance in surprise, glancing up at Taichi with a strange stirring, something like guilt. "Y-yeah?"

Taichi quirked an eyebrow up, giving her an odd look. "What are you staring at?"

Chihaya glanced quickly at his hand, still juxtaposed holding the pack of drinks. Taichi followed her line of sight, confusedly taking note of her flushed cheeks. "Do you really want some juice that bad?"

Chihaya flickered her eyes to the floor. "Uh-huh."

The man in front of her merely scratched at his hair. "Alllriiight, well, you can have yours once I pay for these."

The two of them walked up to the counter, Chihaya snatching a snack to add to their items. They paid without a fuss, continuing back along a sidewalk to get back to their friends waiting at a nearby park. The day was sunny and warm, perfect for a picnic adventure to do some flower viewing.

Chihaya stuffed her face into the donut she'd bought, using it to distract herself from her staring. She didn't really know why she couldn't stop staring at his hands. They'd always been there, swiftly snatching up the karuta cards alongside hers. Maybe it was because he was wearing a watch? His hands looked even bigger when he wore a wa-

Chihaya shook her head, her hair flying around her in a messy halo as she tried to shake her thoughts out of her mind. She shoved her face into her snack, refusing to turn and look again. Taichi, beside her, was blank, staring at her in bewilderment. She peeked at his hands again, loosely curled to wrap around the plastic bags handles of the store they'd just left.

Taichi followed her gaze again, a note of understanding covering his face as he realised. "Ah, right, juice."

Chihaya squeezed her eyes tightly, the powder of her donut dusted all of her face from her deliberations. When she finally opened them again, Taichi's hand was stretched out in the space between them, the sleeves of his shirt rolled back to show his forearms. In his hand was a can of juice, his hand encompassing most of the beverage he held out to her.

"T-thanks!" she squeaked out, eyes wide. She grabbed the drink as fast as she could, her hands shaking as their fingers collided, the skin of his fingers sliding along her own hand as she scooped the can out of his outstretched palm. Chihaya stuffed the donut in her other hand into her mouth hastily, using her now free hand to open her drink. Her hands trembled, feeling Taichi's gaze on her as well as the phantom catching of callouses against her suddenly sensitive skin.

Her fingers scrambled, and when she finally managed to open it, without even noticing that the two had halted in their path, she grabbed the donut out of her mouth and chugged. She could feel the burn of Taichi's eyes staring at her, and Chihaya hoped her usual beauty in vain effect could explain away why she was acting so weird.

"Chihaya."

She pulled away from her drink, too quickly, and some of her beverage leaked out of the can onto her chin and neck. "M-mh?"

She was still turning away from him, focusing her eyes onto the sky to avoid Taichi's gaze. A shadow fell over her face, Taichi moving in front of her to force her to look at him. His expression was unimpressed, and he took a step forward into Chihaya's space. She scrambled back as he kept advancing forward, forcing her backwards as she avoided him. His face grew more and more impatient, until, finally, he backed her into the wall behind her.

Taichi's gaze was serious, staring deeply into her eyes as the wind blew at his bangs slightly. Chihaya gulped, her heart beating nervously as she waited for him to speak. He was strikingly handsome in this moment, and this realisation almost made her breath hitch.

"Chihaya," he deadpanned, "What's wrong?"

Chihaya ducked her chin, her eyes skipping past his to waywardly glance to the side. "N-nothing-"

His hand, gentle yet purposeful, swiped at the sticky remnants of juice about to slide down her chin. Chihaya inhaled sharply, her eyelids becoming hooded. His fingers lingered, reaching slightly higher to brush away the sugar dust from her donut, which she'd long ago dropped on the floor. Chihaya's lips trembled, her breathing becoming harder as his ever so big hand continued to caress away at her skin, getting closer and closer to her lips.

Finally, his fingers pulled at the plumpness of her lips, and Chihaya, breathing heavy and face flushed more than it had ever been, made eye contact with Taichi. His eyes were wide, darting down to glance at the lips slightly parted due to his ministrations, and her eyes, locked onto his. He gulped, and Chihaya flushed even more as his face grew bright red, a blush overtaking his face.

She side lined her gaze onto his jaw, then his neck, and continued until she was taking in the sight of his tensed forearms and the hand, now held to her cheek as one finger stuck to her lower lip. She bit it slightly, almost making contact with his finger and Taichi flinched. The two made eye contact slightly, before the two went even more red and swiftly glanced away in opposite directions, enough to get whiplash.

Taichi stepped back abruptly and a hollow of sadness washed over Chihaya as he started walking, head downturned and his grip on the plastic bag no longer loose. Instead, it was gripped tightly into a fist, the bag crinkling.

His other hand, the one that had touched her face, swiftly reached out and snatched at her hand, pulling her forward to walk together. Chihaya beamed, wrapping her hand around his, even as her body erupted in goosebumps at the warmth so completely covering her hand. His grip was tight, with his fingers interlocking with hers carefully.

Chihaya stared down at their linked hands with a radiant smile, feeling eyes on her and meeting eyes with Taichi, grinning at him. He blushed again and swiftly turned his head to face the path they were walking down, the redness creeping along his ears.

Nonetheless, he squeezed her hand tightly. She squeezed back.


	4. Chapter 4

Chihaya swiped forward, sweeping her card out of her opponents formation. Across from her, Kana-chan swiped at a bead of sweat rolling down her face.

The club captain took in a deep breath, inhaling the karuta club room like air. The heat of the room was stifling as always, the scent of sweat and hard work prominent. Chihaya could hear every intonation of Sumire-chan's reading like a backdrop of sound to the screensaver of cards in front of her. Next to her, Tsukuba was trying his hardest against his elder club mates, and she could feel a well of pride sitting deep in her chest at how hard not only the first years, but the second years, had worked to come this far.

A pulse thrummed through her, strange and making Chihaya feel off-kilter. The room was… almost _wrong_ somehow, too empty yet too wide all at once. She glanced up, feeling Kana-chan disappear out of her focus as the room seemed to distort. Her heart slammed in her chest, a spike of fear pumping adrenaline into her body even more fiercely than the game she'd been so focused on.

Suddenly the heat in the room was over whelming, stifling and constricting as Chihaya struggled to breath. Her eyes were wide, eyebrows creased in concern as she whipped her head around the once familiar room. Yet, now everything was warped, the tatami mats were different, the table was crammed with items she didn't recognise, people she didn't know. On their faces were twisted smiles and shadowed eyes, menacing and shuffling closer, too close, why were they crowding around her, they were _too close._

Chihaya gasped, squeezing her eyes shut. "Chihaya?"

She forced open her eyes, her gaze finding the ever so strange tatami mats she'd kneeled her body over to curl in on herself. That voice. It was… familiar? Yet… why was there something wrong with it? It was the most familiar thing in this backwards world, where everything felt off and scary. The way the speakers voice curled around the letters was achingly familiar and yet… there was something still wrong with it.

Chihaya raised her face from the floor hesitantly, a small kernel of hope igniting in search of the familiar. The sight of Taichi standing in front of her immediately banished her worries, her rustic eyes lighting up even as her ears told her not everything was as okay as the sight of him should have been.

"Taichi," her voice was filled with relief, "Thank god you're here!"

She reached a hand up confidently, not even considering the fact he wouldn't help her up. Maybe it was because of this that the darkening of the Taichi in front of her shocked her so much. The vibe of her once treasured room rolled in waves around the two, and Taichi's face seemed to harden even more.

There was something bitter about his expression, something so heartbreaking and resentful that Chihaya flinched back her hand before he even had the chance to slap it away. His lips were downturned stoically, his ever so soft hair curving against his forehead like a knife, for once out of his eyes. And, for once, the eye contact she held with this unflinching Taichi in front of her made her breath hitch warily.

Chihaya held eyes with him resolutely, even as her eyebrows pinched together in hurt confusion. His eyes, usually so warm and full of emotion, hence his bad habit of hiding behind his hair, were like steel, empty of anything but the look of one finding a bug on the bottom of their shoe. "T-taichi?" her voice warbled.

"Ayase-san," she flinched at his cold intonation, so different and disheartening from her usual Taichi, "Please don't be so familiar with me."

Her breath stopped, the darkness of the room cloying around the man in front of her like a thick honey poison. Don't… be so familiar? Chihaya's eyes welled with tears as she processed what he was saying. Taichi's first name had been upon her lips for as long as she could remember. It was a name, a word, a _person,_ that she had held close and dear like her life depended on it. To not be familiar… was to not be herself? Didn't… he realise that?

"B-but Taichi," Chihaya attempted a watery smile, blinding hope forcing her forward even as her heart ached, "I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I didn't have you with me."

He flickered a cold glance at her, expression indifferent to the tears starting to freelance down her face. "Then I guess you'll have to figure it out."

Chihaya opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out, and her strangled cry came out soundless as Taichi turned around. The waves of bad energy didn't leave with his figure as he kept walking forward, slowly getting further and further away, but rather, they clouded in around her and seemed to suffocate her kneeling form, the darkness cloying as she watched him retreat further and further away from _her._

It was like her figure was locked into place on the floor, chains coming up to capture her and her mute voice crying out soundlessly after him as she tried to struggle toward him. The chains tightened, like a cold creeping into her body and freezing her into place. His retreating figure, despite being the cause of her cracking heart, was drenched in light now that it was far from her and this room. The light was walking away, leaving her bathed in darkness.

Chihaya's tears dripped down her face as she ripped her mouth open for a scream.

! #$

"Chihaya!"

The karuta player jerked upwards, the cold sting of tears wet on her face, her mouth open in a silent scream. Sittin next to her, a supportive hand cradling her back as the other one hovered unsurely in the air, was Taichi.

She stared right at him, her eyes wide and terrified. His, on the other hand, were warm, concerned. Familiar.

Chihaya felt her lips tremble as her eyes welled up again, her face morphing into a relieved, yet shaken, cry. Taichi's eyes went wide this time, his worry growing tenfold as he rubbed his hand up and down her back soothingly and reached his stalemated hand up to her face, pressing his palm against her skin in a caress, catching wayward tears with his calloused thumb.

"Hey, hey," his voice lowered in concern and placation, even as Chihaya brought both of her hands up to cry into. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

Chihaya nodded her head mutely, a scared spike flashing through her heart as she realised that was just a dream, despite how real it had felt. She felt Taichi's warm arms encircle her, her head resting comfortably against the broad expanse of his chest. She withdrew her hands from her face, instead encircling her arms tightly around his torso, as if trying to keep him as close as possible.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Taichi murmured, playing with her hair and occasionally scratching her scalp comfortingly.

Chihaya sucked a deep breath in, inhaling Taichi's man scent, before releasing it. She shifted her legs slightly, for the first time noticing the crisp white sheets of the school infirmary. "Why am I here?" she instead responded.

"You collapsed at karuta training." There was something so endearingly annoyed about Taichi's tone that made Chihaya smile against his chest softly, already knowing he wanted to scold her for overworking herself. "The others called me as soon as they got you here."

Chihaya stilled slightly. He'd… gone out of his way to see her at the school even though he would have already left? Even though… the karuta club was no longer his concern? She bit her lip, a flood of emotions filling her to the brim. "Sorry," she whispered, "You didn't have to trouble yourself by coming back."

The soft ministrations Taichi was administering to her head paused, before continuing resolutely. "Of course I'd come back. I can't just leave you alone here, can I?"

Chihaya pulled away from his chest, placing her palms on his pecs to calmly look into his eyes. They were warm, with a fond twinkle piercing through like the stars on an inky night. He broke it casually to turn away and mock sigh. "After all, I don't know what I would do without you."

Taichi turned his gaze back to her to smirk cheekily, but the tears brimming up in Chihaya's eyes made him pause in panic. Yet, her face was also brimming with a beaming smile. "I guess you would just have to figure it out, huh, Taichi?" she laughed merrily.

Taichi twitched in annoyance, reaching forward to put her in a headlock and mess with her hair. Chihaya laughed loudly, wiggling to escape. The healthy flush and the teasing gleam in Taichi's expression made her heart float in relief, the emotions and love rushing through her from him like a kinetic connection.

As they teased and played and messed around, the insecurities of her nightmare faded away, instead filling up with a combination of the familiar mixed with the scary new things she knew she would be traversing. And she knew Taichi would be by her side all the way, ready. Ready for a hug, an out of the way visit. Ready for play fights. Ready for nightmares and dreams come true all wrapped into one. He would be ready.

Chihaya grinned determinately, finally breaking free to take her turn to ruffle and mess with Taichi's hair. She would be ready too.


	5. Chapter 5

The latest chapter has left me much to write about. Saying that, these chapters aren't all connected, as some are canon and some are not. But can someone pls help our sweet children realise they belong together okaythankyou

! #$

Kana-chan was still. She calmly sipped the tea laid out in front of her, the traditional ceremony usually giving her peace when her mind was turbulent. But when she went to place her cup back down her hands shook, and the tea cup clacked against the table top with a small 'click'. To Kana, it was ear splitting. So were her thoughts.

She inhaled shakily, closely her eyes as thoughts of duty and fate bounced around in her head. It was forlornly that she gazed up for her answers, thinking of Chihaya's bitter tears cascading so unashamedly, almost unnoticed, down fair cheeks.

She hadn't mentioned it, and neither had Chihaya. Honestly, that could be because she hadn't recognised it for herself.

Kana's lips downturned, her eyes too wizened. She wondered if it was her duty, to tell Chihaya that which she hadn't even begun to recognise for herself. She wondered if it was her responsibility or prudence to interfere. Chihaya deserved to know. Mashima didn't deserve to break.

Or maybe it would float away in winds as a high school could have should have would have been, taking the test of time and failing in the face of what almost was. Was it her choice to meddle? To help Chihaya, whose bitter tears left a hollow ache in the pit of Kana's stomach?

She clenched her tea cup tightly. Or perhaps that would be the undoing. Chihaya's inability to perceive, her ignorance of herself, of Taichi. With her interference perhaps that blight would continue, to fester and grow to a point where it would merely be self-sabotage to say anything, to do anything. To hinder her duty.

Kana closed her eyes fiercely.

 _But I do think those feelings may be gradually fading away…_

She opened her economics book.

 _Please, Chihaya… do something before it is too late._


End file.
